Time Infinite
by prettypinklips
Summary: 5. Witch's Brew - Klaus helps Caroline with a spell / Moments, drabbles. Klaroline, 5/?
1. The After

**The After**

* * *

It's a dreary, rainy day when she lays her mother rest.

Bonnie and Elena had left half an hour earlier, wanting to give Caroline some time alone with the headstone in front of her. It's beautiful; her mom's name scrawled in a looping cursive, a twist of roses along the edges.

Caroline feels cold as she looks at it. She is the last of her family.

The air beside her shifts, a sprig of wild daises is laid at the foot of her mother's stone. Truthfully, she isn't surprised he's come. Under any other circumstance, they would bicker about his broken promise they both knew meant absolutely nothing—a means to an end—but today, she appreciates the gesture, his sentiment. He could only be here for one thing; making sure she was okay.

"Hello, love." Klaus says, without the usual flirtatious edge. She smooths a hand down her black dress, fidgets with the hem of the skirt. "You look beautiful today."

Caroline snorts. She know she looks a mess; unbrushed hair twisted into a haphazard updo, mascara tracking down her cheeks from the random crying bouts. "Isn't Mystic Falls supposed to be a Klaus free zone?" She jabs, mostly joking, when the silence stretches too long.

"In theory," Klaus agrees, smiling a little. He is somber and gentle today. For her. As always. "I'm sorry for your loss, Caroline. Your mother was an extraordinary woman, like you."

Caroline looks away from his sympathetic eyes, blinks the sheen of tears from her own, "Thank you." She says, elbow brushing against his as he steps closer to her.

Klaus reaches out and swipes a dried leaf from the top of the headstone. He twists the stem in a circle, musing, then lets it go, the wind carrying it away from them.

"I thought I would have more time." Caroline says quietly, eyes on the leaf as it flutters in the light breeze. The sun has set around them, headstones casting shadows across the grass. Elena's parents and Jenna are buried two rows away. All they've loved and lost is resting here.

"It still wouldn't have been enough," Klaus says, "Nobody is ever ready to say goodbye. But you should feel comforted; your mother loved you, and she is still here in everything you do. And you will see her again."

"Do you really believe that?" She asks. The other side has long since collapsed, and her mother was human, she wouldn't have gone there anyway. But maybe—maybe there was something beyond this world.

"I do, and I think you need to believe it, too."

Suddenly, she wants to tell him everything. How hopeless and lost she feels, how much she wishes she could crawl into the casket with her mom and be dead and buried with her. Wants to tell him that, for the first time since she'd died and woken up, she can feel the switch Stefan and Damon always talk about. All she had to do was reach out and flip it. Her troubles and pain would melt away.

Mostly, she wants comfort. The kind only he can give. He'd fill her with champagne and compliments and make her smile just enough to stave off the impending doom for a little while.

So, she asks him if he wants a drink, already knowing the answer.

* * *

 **AN:** I've been wanting to do a drabble series for awhile now so here it is! I will happily take requests :)


	2. Lost Boy

**Lost Boy**

She hears of Hayley's death from Tyler when he comes into town to visit Matt.

"She died in childbirth." Tyler says, the ghost of a she wolf and a thousand should haves between them. "The baby didn't survive."

They stand in silence for a moment, looking at the bench she had sat at with Klaus so long ago. The same day he'd woo'd her with his hummingbird story and made her think that maybe, just maybe, there was more to him than met the eye. The same day he'd murdered Tyler's mom by the fountain.

"I'm sorry, Tyler." she says. _For everything._

He looks at her; nose sharp, eyes dark, the same cut jaw she'd always loved, "I think we're past that now, Care."

They both know where she will go tonight.

* * *

Caroline almost talks herself out of it. Almost. He would be there for her, she knows.

She finds him easily enough when she enters New Orleans' city limits; simply looking for the biggest house in the city. Rebekah answers the door when she knocks, mascara stained on her cheeks.

The blonde doesn't tell her to leave, like she'd expected, simply stands aside, beckons for Caroline to enter.

"I'm sorry, Rebekah." Caroline says softly to the thin girl. She's all apologies and regrets today. Rebekah cracks a bitter smile before she breezes from the hall.

She steps slowly down the hall, follows the scent of charcoal and oil paints to a room with a roaring fire. His back is to her where he sits on the couch.

"Klaus?" She steps into the room, hesitant.

"Why are you here?" Klaus asks without turning around. His words are a slurred jumble, and she smells whiskey in the air. "Don't you have plans, things you'd rather be doing?" _Ah, so we're lashing out._

Caroline ignores his jab, comes around the side of the couch to look at his face. The weight of a thousand years has set his mouth into a hard line, eyes glassy and glowing as they rest on the fire in front of them. "I came to say I'm sorry for your loss, and—" she trails off, sees the shattered glass on the floor, the empty liquor bottles lying scattered on every surface. "Oh, Klaus." She finishes, at a complete loss for words. How is she supposed to tell him it's going to be okay?

"I thought maybe, maybe just once... I could do something right. But I was a fool." He bites out, bitter.

She sits beside him on the couch, gingerly takes the bottle from his hand, sets it on the coffee table. "It doesn't have to be in vain. You made something beautiful, something innocent. You're more human than you know."

He looks at her like he sees all of her, scrubs a hand over his stubble, "I don't know what to do." He admits. She's the only one to see him like this, she's sure. A lost boy.

She thinks of Elena, who has buried love more times than she can count. Of Bonnie, bending and breaking to keep her friends safe and close. Of herself, clinging to the last fragments of a human girl.

Do any of them know what to do?

"I wish I had an answer." She murmurs, brings his half empty whiskey bottle to her lips. _I wish I could help you._

"You're here," He says, and she hadn't realized she'd said the words aloud. "That's enough."


	3. The Eyes Never Lie

**The Eyes Never Lie**

Klaus finds Caroline and her friends panicking beside the bleachers, surrounded by twelve dead witches. (He recognizes them. After all, he had helped Caroline bury the bodies.) Things have gone wrong, as they so often do in Mystic Falls.

He lobs a graduation cap, severs a witch's head, and when she turns to him in her blood red gown, smile cascading and shining so bright, it's the first time her eyes have been crystal clear when she looks at him. Gone was the faux shroud of hatred and disdain. She was happy to see him. He wishes he could pause this moment in time, replay it over and over until he was satisfied, though he never would be. Never with her. There were not enough moments in the centuries for her.

Her eyes say, _you're here. I knew you would be here._

 _For you,_ his say. He's known long before this moment that he was a goner for her.

He bends to her, gives her Tyler and his love all in one go. And when he tells her that he will wait—will put his cold, dead, beat-less heart on hold for her—she looks at him like her own heart is stuck in her throat, cheeks flushing pink.

Like she can't believe he's made what's between them real. He's said (and meant) the words. "I intend to be your last."

She opens her mouth to speak, shock and wonder still spread across her lovely features. He doesn't want her to ruin the moment with a flippant comment, so he ducks in, lays a kiss on her cheek. _Congratulations, Caroline._

And when they walk away, she lays her hand in the crook of his arm, all on her own.

* * *

AN: if you have a prompt or a request send it in! I'm loving writing these


	4. Reassurance

For Anon / request: Caroline goes to NOLA and sees Klaus with Cami

 **Reassurance**

* * *

Caroline feels utterly stupid.

She'd been in such a slump lately. Her classes and all the supernatural bullshit she just couldn't seem to get away from had really taken their toll. She was feeling defeated, like everything was just a waste of time. She was ready to throw in the towel and say to hell with all of it—but she wouldn't be Caroline if she did, would she?

But still, it was all so draining.

So, she'd gottten into her car after class and had drove to the one place she probably shouldn't have. A horrible impulsive decision really. Her brain was clearly diseased, thinking he would make her feel better. She wanted to be buttered up, okay? Sue her. She needed compliments and expensive champagne and maybe another invitation to some far away land.

Imagine her surprise when she walks into the bar Klaus' sister had sent her to when she stopped by their house—ahem, mansion—and finds him at the bar knee deep in flirting with the bartender.

She's pretty, a happy smile and bouncy curls. And painfully human. But Klaus seems interested. He looks at the woman like—

Like he looks at Caroline.

She turns and walks back out, her heart dropping into her stomach. She knows she's being silly, and has no right to her jealousy, but still, it eats at her. She was a fool to believe anything he'd said to her. She crosses the street to her car, fully intending to jump in and never look back, but the door to the bar swings open—

Klaus crosses the street after her, hand grasping her elbow and gently turning her to face him, "Leaving without a goodbye?" He asks, frowning.

"You seem busy." Caroline says stiffly, clutching her car keys close.

To his credit, he looks faintly embarrassed, but he gathers himself quickly, feigning innocence. "Something bothering you?" He asks, when he knows damn well what she's referring to. Ugh.

"Oh, I'm fine. Go back to your blonde and your booze." She regrets the jab as soon as she says it, wincing to herself.

He looks at her like he knows she's full of shit, amusement in his eyes. She wonders if this is how he felt, watching her with Tyler.

"If you're seeking reassurance, I can give it to you." He comes dangerously close to her and her breath hitches. He smirks. Damn his hybrid hearing.

"I don't need reassurance." Caroline snips, arms crossing over her chest. Except that was definitely the whole reason she was here. Just to see if all his pretty words and declarations meant anything at all. But there was no way in hell she'd ever tell him that.

"But you want it none the less." Klaus says knowingly.

"You don't know anything about what I want."

"I know you're upset I didn't wait a century to bed anyone else."

"Really? You think I'm surprised you didn't mean anything you said to me?" She snorts.

His eyes flash, "I meant every word. I still mean every word." Their noses are almost touching now. "I'm fond of Camille, we connect. But nothing, and no one, will ever compare to you, Caroline. You needn't worry yourself."

"I'm—" she's breathless at his words, "I'm not worrying."

His fingers brush a strand of hair behind her ear, "I have no intention of moving on, remember that." He says, soft. She flashes back to Silas crowding her against a tree, the same words falling from his lips. It struck her right in the heart then just like it does now.

She can't help herself, and a small smile curves her lips. Hadn't the man before her proclaimed many a time that she was more than all the things she feared about herself? Suddenly, her jealous flare up and the nagging feeling of not being enough disappears.

After all, Camille was inside, and he was out here with her, saying sweet nothings and giving her bedroom eyes.

She's pretty sure she's gonna win that competition. Not that there is one, she reminds herself. She feels herself unclenching, shoulders relaxing for the first time since she'd walked into the bar and spied the pair of them.

"Won't you come back inside?" He asks, hopeful. Yeah, no, she doesn't have that much self control.

"I better get going, actually. I have a test tomorrow. I just—I guess I did need some reassurance." She says sheepishly. He had totally called her out earlier.

"And I am always happy to provide it." Klaus opens her car door for her, takes her hand and kisses it quick. Her heart softens for him just a little bit more. "Goodnight, love." He says, squeezing her hand tight for a moment before he lets her go.

She says goodnight and gets into the car before she finds an excuse to stay, blowing out a breath when she's pulled away from the curb. He stays where she left him on the sidewalk, only returning to the bar when she turns the corner.

She feels light the whole way home.


	5. Witch's Brew

Another tumblr request here. You can find me there as westfalled :)

 **Witch's Brew**

"Can you please stop hovering?" Caroline snaps in frustration, glaring daggers at the warlock pacing across her floor. His steps were irritating and distracting, and she needed to get this spell exactly right.

"You're borrowing a family heirloom, love. Forgive me if I don't let it too far out of my sight." Klaus looks pointedly at the book of magic laying open beside her.

Caroline's sitting cross legged on her bedroom floor before a smoking cauldron, pens and note cards scattered around her. She rolls her eyes, tracing her finger down the ingredients of the potion one last time. Klaus lowers himself to the floor across from her, his black coat a stark contrast to her light purple room. She hadn't expected him to stick around after she'd borrowed his book. They'd never been friends, nor enemies, but somehow they always managed to cross paths. From banishing ghosts to curse breaking, he had a knack for appearing when she and her friends needed help. She chalked it up to his friendship with Stefan, but she was grateful that he'd received her request to borrow his family's book of magic so well, even if he was annoying with his wit and the eyes he made at her.

As a fledgling witch, Caroline hadn't been granted her own book yet, and Klaus' was the most complete she'd ever come across, even more so than Bonnie's. Spells carried from centuries and lands long forgotten graced the pages.

The truth potion had been Katherine's idea when she'd brought up her problems with Tyler to her friends at school. Bonnie and Elena had told her it wasn't a good idea, worried about the answers she'd get, but Katherine had been sure it was foolproof. _You may not like what you hear, but at least you'll hear it,_ her dark haired friend had said. With a pointed question and a little eye contact, she could pull the truth from anyone she wanted for a few short hours—no matter how much the other person didn't want to share their secrets.

Caroline only had one question she was dying to ask. She had to know if Tyler truly loved her. Her relationship with her werewolf boyfriend had been rocky the last few months. In the past she had always been so sure of him, of them, but now she couldn't help the questions and doubts that lingered long after she would kiss him goodbye at night. She could forgive his distractions; finding his place in his pack, finding his place in the weird supernatural world he'd been thrust into when he'd been bitten just as she'd been thrust into when she'd turned seventeen. But she couldn't forgive his neglect, his long absences without so much as a text.

Caroline wanted to know if all of their ups and downs and breaks ups and makeups would be worth it in the end. If he was really the one.

She felt a little guilty for her manipulation in using magic against him, but in her defense he'd been avoiding having an actual conversation with her about them since he'd come back from his last trip to the Appalachians. She had tried and tried, but somehow he'd always managed to turn the conversation in his favor without having to answer any questions. She was fed up. All she wanted was his honesty.

"If you insist on invading my personal space at least make yourself useful and pass me the dried lavender."

Klaus passes her the jar of lavender with a smirk, his fingers brushing against hers as she takes the jar. She crushes the dried plant in one hand, sprinkling it over the bubbling cauldron. The brew hisses, turning a deep green as she stirs it.

Caroline closes her eyes, wills all the magic she can muster to her, and murmurs the incantation three times. The cauldron boils loudly before ceasing, the mixture falling flat. All she can smell is lavender. When she opens her eyes, Klaus is looking at her with an unreadable expression. Her skin prickles as they lock eyes for maybe just a bit too long.

She shifts, looking down at the book. She's sure she's done everything right. "Did it work?" She asks.

He shrugs, "I've never attempted this particular spell. We won't know until you've drank the potion." He says, and her nose wrinkles while he grins.

"What? You don't want people telling you how much of a jerk they really think you are?" Caroline quips at him as she makes a move to stand to grab the cup she'd brought from the kitchen that was sitting on her desk. Before she can, Klaus holds his hand up, the cup lifting from her desk and floating across the room towards them.

For a moment she's mesmerized as it glides through the air. Klaus is truly gifted, his ability to perform magic without so much as uttering a syllable was uncanny. The cup floats in front of her and she grabs it, laughing a little in wonder. She'd had her powers for a little over a year, but his was eons ahead of hers, though he was just a few years older than her.

"I still don't understand how you do that." Caroline says, filling the cup. She hopes it tastes as good as it smells.

"Perhaps I'll teach you one day." Klaus says, voice suddenly soft. She pauses, cup just touching her lips. "Bottoms up, love." He nods at her, encouraging, his voice returning to its usual octave.

She downs the potion, surprised at how sweet it is. She wipes a hand across her lips when she's done. The only way to know if it really worked was to ask a question, so she locks eyes with Klaus. It seemed like they'd been doing that a lot lately. "Do you think this is a bad idea?" Caroline asks. She braces herself, waits for him to berate her for using magic to con her boyfriend.

"Absolutely, but I understand your reasoning. Matters of the heart are always difficult. I think that...perhaps the fact that you have to go to these lengths to have a simple discussion with your boyfriend about the state of your relationship is already a sign, but I admire your loyalty, and your strength. I wasn't certain you'd be able to pull this spell off, but you did." His comments surprise her. He was almost...complimenting her? Klaus seems to realize that too, and he averts his gaze.

"Well, that was certainly...honest." She's worried now, the logic of his words striking her. She knows he's right, but still, her heart—her heart just had to hear it from Tyler before she could let him go.

His voice softens like it had before, "I'm truly sorry, Caroline. You deserve more."

She wonders for a moment if it's the spell or him talking. She almost asks, her mouth opening—but he's already standing and holding his hand out to her.

"You only have three hours. You better get to Tyler's."

They leave her house together, and she pauses before Klaus turns to his car, hand catching his arm, "Thank you—for helping me. I owe you one."

His eyes are almost sad, she thinks. For her. "Good luck, Caroline."

Caroline is elbow deep in ice cream and Gossip Girl when the doorbell rings. Grumbling, she pauses the show and sets her ice cream aside. She wipes at her eyes before wrapping a blanket around herself.

Her conversation with Tyler had not gone well. Or it had, depending on how she looked at it. She got the truth, but Elena and Bonnie—even Klaus—had been right. It had been painful to listen to him proclaim that he loved her, but not enough, not for life. I want to know what else is out there, he had said. She'd spent the last hour on her couch, feasting on sweets and wallowing.

She glances at the clock on the wall as she walks to the door—she had an hour until the magic from the spell ran out.

Caroline opens the door, surprised to find Klaus standing there. "What are you doing here?"

He looks sheepish, "I was worried about you." He confesses, hand rubbing the back of his neck.

Caroline bites her lip, cheeks flushing. The moonlight filters over him, casting shadows across his face. The light sprinkle of stubble on his cheeks had never looked more inviting. She steps aside to let him in before going to the kitchen to snag an extra spoon.

When she returns to the living room she finds him already seated on the couch. She sits beside him, balancing the tub of ice cream on the couch between them. They snack and watch the show in silence, and she glances at the clock a little while later, realizing she only has five minutes left.

Swallowing, she turns to the warlock beside her. He feels her gaze, turns to her. "What is it?" He asks.

"Why did you help me?"

His answer is instantaneous, "I fancy you."

Whatever Caroline had expected, it hadn't been that. She flounders for a moment, searching for words. Klaus looks as surprised as she's sure she does, and she swears she catches a flush of red on his neck.

"And you still helped me with Tyler. Even thought it could have ended with us agreeing to work on things."

Klaus swallows, and she wants to laugh as he squirms. He couldn't lie, couldn't hide behind a sarcastic comment. She thinks his hand might be shaking—just a little—as he reaches out to brush a curl from her face. His finger glides across her jaw, and she swears that nobody has ever looked at her so tender. "I've waited this long for you, I can wait a little more."

Her breath catches. "Klaus—"

Her phone suddenly buzzes in her pocket, and they both jump, his hand regretfully falling from her face. She'd forgotten she'd set a timer for when the spell would end.

Klaus blows out a grateful breath, "Time's up." He says, relieved. He gathers himself quickly, and gone is the flustered boy she'd witnessed just moments before.

He had feelings for her. Holy shit. She settles back into the couch, picking her spoon back up. She steals a glance at him from the corner of her eye. He looked good, sitting there beside her.

Maybe she'd make just one more batch of that truth potion.


End file.
